| By Jazmyne De Witz |
Are you finding classes that are related to your major boring and just cannot see your life focused around that topic? Are you feeling like you might need to change your major, but do not know what exactly to? Do not fear! It is not as scary of a process as many people think it is! The first thing you need to do is figure out what you want to change your major to. Whether you have an idea or no clue at all, the following resources will be extremely beneficial in this process.
O*NET Interest Profiler
Some of you might have heard of the O*NET since it is required for some workshops or you have heard about it from a friend. Basically it can help you to discover the type of activities and potential work occupations that you would enjoy. You are asked 180 items that describe different work activities and based on your answers you will be provided with occupations that match your interests. If you can find an occupation you can see yourself working in you will also discover the major needed to work in that field. You do not have to complete the O*NET to figure out a new major, but if it sounds like something you would be interested come to the Career Center anytime during open hours to take it (no appointment needed).
Make an Appointment at the Career Center
Whether you have taken the O*NET or not, you should try to come in and make an appointment with our Career Counselor, Mary Beth. She will help you explore majors and help identify which majors would be best for you based on your interests, skills, and values. Having someone else give you input and advice may take away a lot of stress you may have about changing your major.
Shepard Academic Resource Center
Another good resource for changing your major is to check out the Shepard Academic Resource Center (SARC). You can either make an appointment there or go on their website to get some good information. They can help you figure out the classes you will need to take to switch majors and also the credits you need. SARC is located in Buckley Center on the first floor.
Talk with Faculty and Stuff
Another resource many students do not take advantage of is talking with their professors and other faculty. You can talk with professors who are in the major you are in now and they might be able to help give you an idea of what that major is all about that textbooks cannot. You can also talk with professors who teach your potential classes required by the new major(s) you are interested in. Just stop by during their office hours. You can find the emails of every professor at UP on the UP directory. Select the department/office you want and a list will appear. It might also be a good idea to ask some friends about professors they know.